RIDGEWAY, A SCHOOL TO BE PROUD OF!
Oct. 19, 1998
King Richard got us going at the sound of the bell. Rick Rybicki to let
us in heartfelt pledge allegiance and Chuck Baker gave us some wise words to live
by.
Announcements
Have someone who you think would make a good Rotary member? Call Teri Evans.
 At long last our valiant Valinoti (right) has
received his just deserts: an award for meritorious service. Thanks Jim!
Ray Mattison has a time-share rental in Hawaii available Nov. 21 - 28 at Pahio Kai
Resort in Princeville, Kauai; 2br/2ba unit.. Rent is negotiable, contact Ray for details
including how much of a fine he should pay for getting this into the Bulletin.
Birthdays for September and October: Ken Dansie, Bill Dean, Ellie Lowry, Bob Marigo,
Robin Marrs, Carson Mitchell, Dave Wattell, and Chris Rosell. So far in October
we have Ray Mattison, Bob Reinking, Tom Skinner and Bob Zeni who is having
entirely too much fun for a man of his years. Congratulations should also go out to Dee
Marigo who has recently reached the milestone of having tolerated her husband for 41
years.
Kingpin Rafflers Get Lotto Tickets
Lotto tickets were passed out to the major sellers for the Bartley Bash raffle. Duncan
Holt got one Lotto ticket. Harry Rubins was the lucky recipient of two Lotto
tickets. And grand master Ginny Pitts stole the show receiving three Lotto tickets
for selling 15 raffle tickets above and beyond her 10 ticket allotment. Way to go Ginny!
Golf Tournament a Big Success
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Jeff Ray (left) gave us a report from last Friday's golf
tournament. The weather of the was great. Among the winners were Louis Capiano and
his son (a ringer from Cardinal Newman) and Bill Fisher. |
| The longest drive was by Paul Schwartz (right) and the closest to
the pin was Jim Benoit at 45 feet, 5 in.. Bringing up the rear was a trio of Bill
Dotson, Ken Dansie and Joe Perez. Ron Street suggested that golf
lessons might be an excellent donation idea for the Crab Feed. |
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Recognition (a.k.a. fines)
Neil Silverman has been in Alaska since June traveling about in a camper. Had
flags from just about everywhere. Took lots of pictures. Look for presentation later this
year. Fine: $40.00.
Ginny Pitts is growing pumpkins for the multi-cultural center. Good work: no
fine.
Harry Rubins wrote an article and has prepared a presentation for the Sonoma
County Bar Association. Fined $50.00 for talking to attorney's.
Raffle
In the pot we have $1,280.00 and 12 marbles to choose from. Chuck Baker, wearing
his lucky Polynesian print shirt, came up only with a marble to match the Blue of his
shirt. Ron Street was this week's lucky winner of the boobie prize, which he
graciously donated to the foundation.
Position Available for GSE trip to Philippines
Paul Stychno is working with G.S.E. to put together a trip to the Philippines.
There is still space available for both team members and team leaders. Team members must
be non-Rotarians, at least 25 years old and working in our district. Team leaders must be
Rotarians. The G.S.E. team will be gone for a month, ALL EXPENSES PAID. Deadline for
applications for team members is Monday Nov. 14, 1998, for team leaders the deadline is
November 6, 1998. For more information contact Paul Stychno at (707) 526-2033.
Help Harry Help Foundation
Harry Rubins selling
tickets raffle tickets and dinner tickets to support the Rotary Foundation in its
international efforts. It is often is the for us to overlook the international
aspect of Rotary. But the aid that Rotary provides worldwide is one of the most
important and necessary aspects of Rotary.
The raffle will be held at the Rotary Foundation Dinner on Saturday Nov. 7, 1998, at
the Sonoma Golf Club on Arnold Drive in Sonoma. Grand prize will be a one-week stay
in a two-bedroom penthouse suite with an ocean view in Pebble Beach, CA. Many other
prizes will also be awarded. Raffle tickets are $10.00 each and money spent on
raffle tickets can be credited toward achieving a Paul Harris Fellowship (or conversely,
the money which would otherwise be spent toward a Paul Harris Fellowship can be used to
get some free raffle tickets). Tickets for the Rotary Foundation Dinner are $40.00
each. It is shaping up to be a gala event.
Program
 Ken Dansie introduced our speakers for this week Jim
Hiss, the principal at Ridgeway High School, and Brian Cox, the school's
counselor who were here to tell us about the remarkable students and programs at Ridgeway
High School.
Ridgeway High School has about 300 students. It was recently recognized as one of
eleven outstanding continuation high schools out of a field of 500 schools. Jim
stated that the school's tough stance on discipline, refusal to accept expelled students
and their willingness to take a chance on students who have turned away or been turned
away from the system contributes to the success that Ridgeway has had.
Even after many years and a vast array of experience in the field of education Jim
is still surprised by these students. One such surprise came at a recent Back to School
Night were Jim found out that his students had, on their own, organized a chess
club and had been challenging other schools to matches.
Many of the projects that Ridgeway High School is involved in are projects that go
beyond the school grounds and out into the community. For example, Ridgeway students
travel to local elementary schools to conduct a bilingual tutorial program for the younger
schoolchildren. Ridgeway High School was instrumental in initiating the Santa Rosa Creek
Trail Project for which the school gained national recognition. Students at Ridgeway are
taking part in a biology project with the UC system involving salamanders.
The primary purpose of many of the projects engaged in by Ridgeway is to re-franchise
the students. For example, the students have a fund-raiser to raise the money to go to see
The Nutcracker Suite at Christmas time. They make their own Thanksgiving dinner and go out
of their way to make sure that events such as the prom happen and are important.
By the time they arrive at Ridgeway, many of the students have already given up.
Because of the refusal on the part of the teachers and staff at Ridgeway to give up on
these students many of the students are able to turn their lives around and become
involved, productive citizens.
This Bulletin was brought to you by your humble if not punctual editor: David
Bjorklund.
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